Ezra Collective's Femi Koleoso Guest-Edits Guardian Culture Section, Reflects on Hope

Femi Koleoso, bandleader and drummer of the London jazz group Ezra Collective, has guest-edited this week's Saturday magazine Culture features for The Guardian, according to the publication.

In an editor's letter, Koleoso wrote about his reaction to being asked to guest edit the section, saying his first thought was that it would "elevate me into an intellectual bracket far beyond my wildest dreams." He said he told his father and his former secondary school English teacher, Mr Pickering, about the opportunity, describing it as "a subtle way of letting them know that the student is now in charge."

Koleoso noted he received an A in his GCSE English and English Literature exams, adding that he remained "proud to have been given this wonderful opportunity" regardless of how the takeover was received.

As part of his editorial theme, Koleoso shared his reasons for optimism about the future, writing that "on the other side of pain there can be renewal," according to The Guardian.

The guest-edited edition also includes contributions from Koleoso's Ezra Collective bandmates, who offered their own cultural picks, as well as a piece in which Koleoso meets some of his personal inspirations, titled "Things work out for the good people."

Additional content in the package features an interview with photographer Temi Adegbayibi, who discussed capturing the energy of music, describing the process as "like painting with light." The section also includes a feature on cultural awakenings involving members of Ezra Collective.

Ezra Collective is a London-based jazz group known for blending genres including Afrobeat, hip-hop and reggae influences.